"He has the legs to win himself": Tiesj Benoot names Tadej Pogacar's teammate as favourite for Flanders and Roubaix

The spring classics are unfolding without Tiesj Benoot in the peloton. The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider has been forced to watch the Monuments from home after undergoing surgery for a herniated disc. It is a tough situation that still does not stop him following every move in the races. In fact, he has been full of praise for his compatriot Florian Vermeersch who already stood on E3 and Omloop podiums this spring whilst often animating the remaining races.

On the Live Slow Ride Fast podcast, Benoot shared his thoughts on recent weeks, marked by his absence and by his team’s strong performances. He also believes that Vermeersch, who will ride the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix as a domestique for Tadej Pogacar, could quite feasibly win both races given his current level.

News of his operation broke in February, shortly after he joined his new team. The injury was a major blow, not only for the squad, which also lost Olav Kooij, but especially for Benoot himself.

The Belgian had previously explained that, despite the hernia, his physical numbers were excellent. He even said he had set his best three-minute power values and was completing one of his best winters. However, all that work was put on hold, forcing him to watch his favourite classics from the sofa.

Away from racing, Benoot misses nothing of the action. During the E3 Saxo Classic, he watched the finale with two friends while on holiday, enjoying both his team’s display and that of riders close to him.

Chief among them is Florian Vermeersch, with whom he has a close relationship, as he does with Stan Dewulf. The three often holiday together, which means Benoot pays particular attention to their performances.

"No doubt he has the legs to win a race right now, but he’s the kind of rider, like me, who needs everything to fall perfectly into place," he says of Vermeersch. The Belgian also highlights his recent progression: "Florian had already stepped up last year, but now he’s even better. Plus, he carries the confidence he gained straight away at Omloop."

One moment that really caught his eye was the chase of Mathieu van der Poel at the E3 Saxo Classic 2026, where Vermeersch and Dewulf featured prominently.

From his point of view, his friend made no mistakes: "He did the right thing. If he wants to win the race, he has to take turns. He took a risk and lost, but I think it’s admirable that he did."

Benoot does add a nuance, focusing on communication between the two riders: "I don’t think they spoke to each other, but I would have. They’re good friends." He even goes a step further, imagining his own intervention: "I would have said: 'Come on, together we’ll make sure we still have a chance to win the race.'"

As his recovery continues, Benoot is living the spring from a distance, eyes fixed on the peloton… and especially on how his own are performing.